Lily Through The Ages
by broken barriers-gr8rockstarrox
Summary: (i) Lily Luna: A Slytherin who realises she's lost, and finds her way back. (ii) Teddy Lupin: A Gryffindor who decides to remain lost, until a particular red-headed Slytherin makes it her sole mission to find him. (iii) Justification: All because she's an obstinate (determined) girl who has an epiphany that the destination of her confusing journey is a blue haired boy (man).
1. Finding Lily

AN: Hello, loves. This is a story for anyone who ships Teddy and Lily. I hope you enjoy it.

Clarifications: In this story, Lily is the youngest of all her cousins. James, Albus and Ted are respectively three, one and ten years older than her. Hugo and Louis are both her age.

* * *

OoOoO

**Lily Through The Ages**

**Chapter 1**

_**Finding Lily**_

OoOoO

Lily Luna Potter has always been a very smart girl. She has always kept to the shadows, enjoying her solitude, rather than being the centre of attention.

Not only is she intelligent, but she also has a wicked sense of humour. She can charm anyone, if she wants to, with her wit and her beguiling smile. But being a person who hides at the fray, not out of shyness but out of wisdom, she only uses her charm on her professors at Hogwarts.

When she got sorted into Slytherin, just like Al before her, James was furious. He'd been hoping that he wouldn't be the only Potter in Gryffindor. He really gave both her and Al the cold shoulder for the better part of her first year.

But now, two years later, he's over it, as he's been for the past one and a half years. In all honesty, he'd already decided to reconcile with them, when he realised that he would be the ONLY Potter royalty in Gryffindor. Because yes, even twenty-two years after the war, the Potters are not just considered celebrities; they're also considered to be heroes and saviours.

Though she's only thirteen, Lily often worries whether she'll be able to live up to her parents' greatness. But before she can truly panic, her senses always kick in, and she knows that she'll do well in life, regardless of public expectations.

It's during her third year Christmas break, that she realises two things. One, Teddy Lupin looks bloody hot and two, she'd ideally like a boy-friend like him some day.

OoOoO

Time flies by, the way it usually does, when everyone is having fun in life. This is Albus' last year at Hogwarts and in a year's time, it would be her last time too.

James is there, standing next to their parents, along with Teddy. They've all come to say good bye to the two of them and their cousins.

Seeing Teddy waving at them makes something inside her twist. But she doesn't pay much attention to it. Rose suggests a game of Exploding Snap, though the train started less than five minutes back.

She pushes what she felt to the back of her mind, and focuses on ensuring that Scorpius Malfoy, her brother's best friend, loses the game.

After all, Slytherins can be excessively competitive.

OoOoO

Her sixth year is a mess. She realises that she's not as pretty as her mother or her grandmother, the one after whom she was named. This realisation is a serious blow to her self esteem.

She guesses that she always knew she wasn't pretty, but rationalises that she probably never paid attention to it before, because she was way too content with who she was. But now, she's sixteen, and she's never been kissed.

It's not because she's Harry Potter's only daughter. It's because though people love her, it's in that _little-sister _way.

Apart from her lack of a love life, everything's fine. Her grades are still decent, and she gets invited to almost all the houses' parties. People confide in her, and she's always happy to help.

After nearly seven years of flirting, Scorpius and Rose decide that it's best if they get into a proper relationship. Lily is SO happy for them. Initially, Albus resents Rose for stealing his best friend, but when Lily points out that this way, Scorpius would be more than just a mate of his, he'd be _family, _Al feels elated about Rose and Scor.

OoOoO

Christmas comes by, and the Weasley-Potter-Malfoy clan decide to stay back in Hogwarts to enjoy their last Christmas together. Her parents' letter doesn't make it clear if they're fine with it, but she doesn't care.

She resents her parents for being so fucking perfect, with an impossible legacy to live up to. James is already living up to the Potter surname; he's the Seeker for the Chuddley Cannons. They have had an unbroken winning-streak, ever since James was signed on as Seeker.

She's proud of James, but wishes she had some special skill too.

Al too is working hard towards becoming an Auror. The subjects he's chosen are the subjects required to be eligible to write the Preliminary Auror Exam. Lily isn't sure how she could have been so stupid as to not notice it before. But the way he's working hard, Lily knows he'll become a brilliant Auror, even if their dad isn't Harry Potter.

Lily respects her brother for being so dedicated and hardworking.

Christmas at Hogwarts is truly breath-taking. The castle is beautifully decorated and the food is even more delicious than usual, if that's possible. They all spend loads of time playing Exploding Snap, Wizarding Chess and Magical Charades.

One night, as she's watching Rose and Albus play a spectacular game of Wizarding Chess, she realises that she's thankful for their close-knit group.

As the younger half of the Potter-Weasley clan, they had to band together, in order to not be trampled upon by their older and bossier cousins and siblings.

In her head, she'll always remember the way Rose, Albus, Scorpius, Louis, Hugoand herself spent Christmas Eve in the Room of Requirement (rebuilt after the war, of course), simply having fun.

She'll always remember how they downed Firewhiskies with wild abandon, and how they pitched tents inside the room and had one last wild sleepover at Hogwarts.

OoOoO

It's summer now and Al has graduated from Hogwarts. Their parents still don't know that he's studying to clear the PAE. They think he's working hard to clear the Potions Master Entrance Exam, seeing as he's always been obsessed with Potion making (like the person from whom he gets his middle name).

That's the thing about Slytherins. They're experts at deceiving even the people who are closest to them, and often, even themselves.

Lily spends loads of time wandering about the house, and sleeping in any comfortable nook she can find. She's glad that she'll soon be of age. Then she can cast a Silencing charm before she takes a quick nap.

Teddy spends a lot of time at their house, and Lily finds herself getting more and more enthralled by him. She convinces herself that it's not a silly crush, but a strong friendship. After all, they've always been sharing stories and getting advice from one another through letters.

It is initially a bit odd to do it face to face after such a long time of hiding behind paper and ink, but it's not long before she finds total comfort in it, for after all, he did pinky swear to always be her Teddy bear, seven years back.

Her seventeenth birthday comes and goes. She receives quite a few presents from friends and family, but somehow, presents don't really matter to her. She's more interested in knowing how many people actually mean their wishes to her. She performs Legilimency on the relatives whom she knows aren't Aurors or training to be one.

She sticks only to her generation; because the generation which faced the battle would be proficient in Occlumency.

She's not very shocked to learn that Rose hates her. Rose had always seemed falsely sweet to her. But it still hurts. She's very surprised to learn that Scorpius once had a crush on her. Overall, she learns that almost everyone except Rose meant their wishes to her.

She doesn't feel guilty about treading on others' private thoughts.

Because she's a Slytherin, and Slytherins are sneaky bastards.

OoOoO

There's only a month of vacation left. Teddy is such a good companion, he takes her out to all the Muggle movies she wants to see. She's obsessed with all things Muggle now. Muggle movies, Muggle story books, Muggle serials, Muggle music, Muggle cooking... Simply all things Muggle.

So she asks her Grandpa Arthur to take her to the Muggle Awareness Conference For Wizards and Witches, which is being held in Dublin. The old man smiles so broadly, that she can see his fillings. Everything's a blur, as she gets ready to learn about Muggle technology and soon, they're off.

She and Grandpa come home a week later. She's currently pissed off with himfor not letting her drink Irish Firewhiskies. Her parents take his side.

She decides she's pissed off with them too.

OoOoO

Two days later, it's her turn. It's her last time. But she doesn't feel bad. She wants to get this over with.

As she sits in the train, waving goodbye to her parents, her brothers, Teddy, and a few of other relatives, she introspects.

She remembers how she'd once wanted a boyfriend who would be like Teddy. Now, she doesn't want her future boyfriend to be like Teddy.

She wants it to BE Teddy.

OoOoO

She's never been close with Hugo before. She's always been close to Rose (that bitch). But things always change, and she finds herself becoming closer and closer to Hugo.

She, Hugo and Louis form a trio and they start going to Hogsmeade together. Though Al writes to her twice a week, she misses him terribly. But she has Hugo and Louis, and she's glad she has them.

But things start going wrong right around November. Phillip Zabini asks her out, and she says yes. She soon realises that he doesn't want a date, he wants a drinking buddy.

They start drinking regularly, often sneaking out of Hogwarts late at night to get sloshed. She lives for the buzz that alcohol fills her with.

At first, Louis and Hugo don't notice anything. But slowly, they start retreating from her, seeing as to how much time she spends with Zabini. If they notice her drinking habit (it's NOT a problem... yet.), they don't let it show.

They still spend time together, but their conversation seems strained. She no longer writes to her parents or her brothers or her cousins or Teddy. TEDDY.

Does he care that she no longer writes to him?

OoOoO

During Christmas, she refuses to go home, and her parents oblige when she plays the 'I'm-seventeen-and-am-no-longer-required-to-listen-to-you' card. Albus sends her huge letters asking her what's wrong, but she doesn't reply.

Zabini too stays behind, happy that his drinking buddy and he can get super drunk. They manage to get their hands on some Felixweed, which when smoked, puts the smoker in a state of hallucination. Lily loves it. She loves living in these hallucinations, where she's much happier.

On Christmas Eve, Zabini kisses her under the mistletoe. But it's a chaste kiss, nothing more. And then they open a new roll of Felixweed.

After all, the night is young.

OoOoO

During one of her hallucinations, she sees her own funeral. But she doesn't see many people there. And of the few people there, only her mother is crying. Her father looks broken. James looks angry. Albus' face is expressionless.

But what hurts her the most, is that Teddy isn't there.

OoOoO

It was only a hallucination, but Lily takes it as a divine message from Merlin himself. She starts writing long letters to her family members, apologising for her poor correspondence. She seems to be welcomed back with open arms (from what she could make out from the replies). Her granddad seems to be glad to get his favourite granddaughter back.

Al still seems suspicious, though. But he can't do anything about it apart from writing her letters as he's in that phase of the Auror Training Programme where the trainee is cut off from the rest of the world and has no contact with their family, except through letters.

That is why all Aurors are also excellent writers.

She starts spending lots of time with Louis and Hugo. Hugo works like a maniac as he wants to get into International Wizarding Law. Louis seems more relaxed, but he's working hard too. She decides to start studying too. But she's sure that mid-February is definitely late. At least, she still has a month and a half left.

However, all this doesn't mean she's stopped seeing Zabini. How could she? She needs at least a couple of bottles of Butterbeer to get through the day. As much as she doesn't want to admit it, she knows that she's an addict.

Alcohol can be her poison. She hopes she never sees a roll of Felixweed ever again.

OoOoO

The NEWTs are here.

Professor Longbottom secretly tells her that she has scored the highest in Herbology (as told to him by the external examiner). Potions goes by without a hitch.

But before Charms, she messes up her revision schedule. She wonders what she's doing on this Earth. Her will cracks and she ends up drinking two entire bottles of Firewhisky, while sitting on the Astronomy tower. She's alone this time, though. Even Zabini isn't with her.

She somehow manages to write her Charms paper without passing out on top of it completely. Hugo's seen the entire thing though.

During lunch, he pours out two drops of a hangover cure into her pumpkin juice. She's so ashamed of herself that she nearly breaks down, right there. But Hugo presses the goblet into her hand, before she can react further.

She's grateful to him. It's only because of him that she manages to do decently in the Charms practicals examination held after lunch.

It's because of her marvelous grades in the second part of the exam that she manages to pass Charms, even if it's just barely.

OoOoO

When the full consequences of her actions hit her, Lily becomes inconsolable.

There goes her dream of studying Wizarding Applications of Muggle Sciences and Technology in France. She's heart-broken.

She needs at least an E in Charms to get in. She knows she can't, now. It's all too late.

She tries to find solace in the one thing that's always been there for her.

OoOoO

When Hugo and Louis can't find their elusive cousin the day after the Charms exam (which is also the day before the Transfiguration exam), they confront Zabini. He swears he doesn't know where she's gone, but under Louis' truth speaking charm, he does admit that his pack of experimental drugs has gone missing.

They bribe Becca Parkinson into getting an old piece of parchment from Lily's trunk.

Trying to remember what his father once told him, as a story, a long time back, Hugo speaks the necessary words and taps the old piece of parchment.

The Marauders' Map shows that Lily is in the Forbidden Forest, doing Merlin knows what.

When they find her, she's far gone. Louis sends two Patronuses for help, and with the help of the Invisibility cloak (which Lily has left on a tree branch), they drag her to the Shrieking Shack, by prodding the Whomping Willow at the right place.

Once inside, she cries and cries and starts speaking everything in reverse (as Louis figures out). In a matter of moments, Rose arrives inside the shack.

She's horrified to find her youngest cousin in this state. She asks the boys for the drug which Lily has injected into her veins. As she's examining it, Albus comes rushing in, with a large suitcase.

Albus Severus reveals the large portable Potions laboratory, disguised as a suitcase. He doesn't question anything. His face is emotionless. He examines the drug with Rose, and starts brewing a potion that usually counteracts the base of all drugs.

Rose, in the mean time, gets the boys' help to pump Lily's stomach. She then starts blood purification spells, which makes a black, sticky substance pour from the screaming girl's orifices.

Albus hops over, collects the material, examines it, and starts brewing another potion, just as Rose takes the first one off the flame. Rose forces the first potion down Lily's throat. Everything becomes quiet.

The unconscious girl now has pale skin, like that of a corpse. Soon, the second potion is ready, and with that, she seems to regain some colour.

Three hours later, ice blue eyes open up and stare at the ceiling.

OoOoO

As soon as Al makes sure she's okay, he slaps her across her face. But she doesn't protest. She knows she deserves it. All four faces around her have a varying mixture of relief, anger and disappointment (in Hugo's and Albus' cases).

Rose leaves without a word, and Albus promises to check in the next day, with Hugo.

Hugo and Louis help her get back to the Slytherin common room, but they stay there with her. As she sleeps on the couch, they start revising for their Transfiguration examination.

OoOoO

Lily once again fares poorly in the theory paper, but outshines everyone else in her practical examination. Luckily, Louis and Hugo do well, despite not having revised (much).

The rest of her exams are a breeze, and Arithmancy might just be her most favourite subject, ever.

Hugo and Louis haven't let her out of their sight since the 'incident'. She truly regrets doing what she did, and she's never been more grateful to the two of them.

They demand an explanation from her, and she starts telling them about why she thinks she got this way. But she refuses to tell them about what she experienced on the eve of the Transfiguration exam.

At the end of it, as Lily begs for forgiveness, with tears streaming down her face, Hugo and Louis pull her into a tight group hug, and they hold her that way, till she stops crying.

Because while it sounds hard to believe, Slytherins too can get hurt and emotional.

OoOoO

The journey home is a peaceful one. Or rather, it's as peaceful as it can be. Louis, Hugo and she get a compartment all to themselves, and they spend most of the journey talking about trivial things.

They make a game of flicking Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Jelly Beans at each other, and the person who catches the most in his/her mouth gets to dare the others into eating the scarier looking ones.

They make a pact to meet up for lunch every year, on the same date as this day.

All too soon, Hugo and Louis fall asleep, and Lily has some time for herself. She thinks about what she's doing with her life. She doesn't even have a back-up plan... For now.

But all of a sudden, it's obvious, what she has to do. It's all so simple, but she's never realised it completely before. She feels oh so stupid now.

She's always known the answer. All she needs is to do what she truly wants to do. Her deepest desire. Teddy. TEDDY. _TEDDY_.

She should probably talk to Aunt Hermione and find out what alternative options are there for her to do something at least related to WAMST. Even if it's not in France.

Because Slytherins can always survive, even better than Gryffindors.

Next, she should swallow her pride and ask Victorie beauty tips. Or maybe she should ask Aunt Fleur. She could probably stay with Louis for a couple of weeks, while she learns her aunt's beauty secrets. And while she's at it, she might as well learn about what went wrong between Ted and Vicky.

Because Slytherins, when on a mission, can learn faster than even the smartest Ravenclaw.

Next, she'll have to re-invent her persona. She'll have to make Teddy sit up. She'll have to go back to the person she was before she let herself slide. She'll have to put in hardwork... Something that she hasn't done in the past four years.

When a Slytherin sets her mind to it, she can work harder than even the most sincere Hufflepuff.

And last, but not the least, while she gets her shit together, she'll have to ensure Teddy remains single. But she knows she'll have no trouble with that.

Because when it comes to planning, there's no one who can do it better than a Slytherin.

OoOoO

As Lily steps off the Hogwarts express, with one arm around each of her best-friends, she catches a flash or turquoise hair somewhere in the crowd.

Her heart beats faster and her palms get sweaty. Her face breaks into a grin, as she catches the blue-haired man's eye.

Her plan to get Teddy, is _SO _on.

OoOoO

Lily Luna Potter has always been a smart girl. She has always liked sticking to the shadows. She still does. And she will probably always like being on the fray of everything, rather than be at the centre of one thing.

But for now, she plans to draw attention to the shadows. She plans to shine from the shadows.

OoOoO

* * *

AN: The second (and last) chapter will be up in a week's time. It will have much more of Teddy than this chapter, I promise.

The aim of this chapter was to explain Lily's method of thinking.

Please leave reviews, or follow, or favourite this, so that I know how I'm doing. And please DO be brutal with the criticism. I have a lot left to learn.


	2. Finding Teddy

A.N: I'm back! I'm so terribly sorry for the delay. Thank you **lexi427** and **laissankari** for making my day. This chapter is for you both.

Disclaimer: Duly disclaimed! (This holds good for all three chapters.)

Clarification: I believe Teddy's real name is Edward. And he's a Hufflepuff in the canon, but I think of him as a Gryffindor.

* * *

OoOoO

**Lily Through The Ages**

**Chapter 2**

_**Finding Teddy**_

OoOoO

It has been only a week since Lily graduated from Hogwarts.

Aunt Hermione has been an absolute darling, helping her look at alternative options for a higher education, considering her performance in the NEWTs. The results will be out in a month.

Her aunt is highly proud of her for even considering higher education. Both Rose and Hugo have told her the truth, about Lily's problems. The best part is, Aunt Hermione doesn't judge.

In fact, it is Aunt Hermione who suggests that they spread the story that Lily fell sick in the middle of her NEWTs, so that she won't have to face the whole family's enquiries about how such a talented witch like Lily didn't get all O's.

Rose, Hugo, Albus and Louis agree to not tell anyone else what really happened, though Albus wishes that Lily would tell their parents the truth. Lily simply refuses to do that.

OoOoO

Grandma Molly throws a graduation party for the three of them that weekend. She doesn't want to go to the Burrow, but she does anyway, hoping to catch a glimpse of a certain blue-haired man.

Even if The Burrow were to be magically expanded, it could never hold the entire Potter-Weasley clan at once, without the walls bursting. So Grandma Molly does what she does every Christmas, and arranges the whole party outside.

When she sees Teddy excuse himself from the party and make his way to the desolated backyard, she inconspicuously picks up a bottle of Butterbeer and a goblet of pumpkin juice, and quietly slips away from her family.

It's apparent that something's been bothering him. His usual azure blue hair is paler today, more of a sky blue shade. And even if she weren't in love with him, she would want to comfort him.

Her biggest fear and obstacle is that he'll possibly still see her as a child, as the girl he comforted when her brothers tore her favourite stuffed dragon, as the four-year old rebel who drank some wrongly brewed potion and literally turned green for the entire day.

She wants him to know that he can confide in her about anything that's bothering him, without censoring out details the way adults do to kids. She wants him to know that she'll always be there for him, no matter what.

So she quietly goes and stands beside him, to be his pillar of support, just in case he needs one.

/

_"Feeling overwhelmed, Ted?"_

_"Hey, Lils. I didn't quite see you there. It's that obvious, huh?"_

_"What's wrong, Teddy?"_

_He doesn't reply._

_She tries a different route. "Sometimes talking to some random person can help things, you know?"_

_"But you're not a random person. I've known you since your birth."_

_"Actually, you'd have to consider me a stranger. You knew who I was as a kid. But now I've grown up. I've changed. Which means what you think you know about me is not who I am anymore."_

_As an afterthought, she adds "I'm a stranger even to the people who've known me the longest."_

_He looks up at her, his eyes turning frost blue, to mirror her eyes. It's obvious that though what she has said has surprised him, it's making him think. He turns his face away, deep in thought._

_After a few long minutes, he looks back at her and replies._

_"You're right. I don't know who you are. So let's reintroduce ourselves, shall we?"_

_He pauses. And then with a slightly wolfish smile says, "I'm Edward Remus Lupin."_

_Lily gives him a breath-taking smile as she replies._

_"Hullo, Edward. I am Lily Luna Potter. It's nice to meet you."_

/

OoOoO

Weeks flash by in bursts of light, warmth and laughter. She makes it a point to laugh as much as she can.

The results come out, but she doesn't care. She's passed, and that's all that matters. Her parents are so nice about how she's done. She loves the way her dad tells her not to bother about her grades, because though Voldemort got all O's, it never meant he was a good person.

Louis, Hugo and she go out as much as they can. They visit Uncle George at the joke-shop every week. They go traipsing through the Scottish greens every weekend. They try their best to be away from other company.

Because apparating is the best way to travel within the country.

But the nights are reserved for her special talks with Edward. They talk about everything and nothing. They never have a specific topic. They talk about the cosmos and they talk about the meaning of life. They talk about the latest Weird Sisters album and they talk about Quidditch through the ages.

He usually apparates around to The Potter Manor and they lie on the roof and talk. But it's impossible to meet every day. If he's too tired, they floo-call at least for a few minutes, and if he's working late, they rely on owl-post.

The summer is a beautifully hazy and Lily prays she'll never forget how she feels.

OoOoO

Lily can't but help feel excited about the two weeks that she's going to spend at Uncle Bill's. She's so glad that Louis invited her and Hugo over, because now, she doesn't have to manipulate her uncle into inviting her to stay.

She's excited because there's going to be so much to learn.

It's all about reinvention.

OoOoO

Surprisingly, it's Dominique who helps her out. Dominique, the silent beauty.

/

_"How can you say that, Nicki?", she asks, her blue eyes opened wide._

_"It's true, sweetheart. Once upon a time, boys didn't even know I existed. You see, their eyes were always drawn to my princess of a sister._

_In my fifth year, a boy I really fancied asked me out. I was over the moon. I dressed up as best as I could, using perfume and even Muggle lip gloss. __Our 'date' was in Hogsmeade. We met at this newly opened bistro Magic Delights...The place was lovely and the ambience? Absolutely mind-blowing. I was so thrilled that the first date of my life was so perfect._

_But then, that dickwad started asking questions about 'that pretty girl in the seventh year... Oh wait, is she your sister?'. And I realised that he'd simply wanted to talk and find out about Vicky. __It was the most embarrassing moment of my life. I had never been humiliated that way. It turned out my first date was not even a real date, it was an interrogative session with a guy who wanted to get into my sister's knickers._

_After going back to the castle and crying my heart out, I realised that sometimes males are so stupid that they'll bother to look inside only if the outside looks enticing as well. __I didn't want to alter my looks just for some shallow male's attentions. So I decided to change certain things, without actually losing sight of who I was. __So though I wore fashionable footwear from then on, on the inside, I was still the same old girl who loved walking barefoot on wet grass. I made a conscious choice to preserve the person I was on the inside, while simply changing what I looked like._

_So that's what you need to remember, Lils. Don't lose yourself for the sake of some boy. He must like you for who you are on the inside. Don't tailor yourself for him. Tailor yourself for yourself."_

_Lily, who till then listens with awe, starts blushing at the last line. Nicki looks at her curiously._

_"You know what, I'll give you a copy of the book in which I wrote the best magical and non-magical beauty remedies. Try it out and tell me how it works for you. "_

_Lily nods her head brightly at this and Nicki accios an aging thick leather book. She duplicates the book and gives Lily the copy._

_Lily gives a fierce hug to her blonde haired cousin after she flicks through the pages._

_"Thank you so much Nicki! Have you ever thought of publishing this? This will be an instant best seller! "_

_"Well, why don't you try it first? And if does and you get the guy, I'll publish it. Deal?"_

_"Deal."_

/

OoOoO

Soon it's time for everyone to split... For the time being, at least. Teary goodbyes and too bright smiles. Promises to keep in touch and meet up every vacation.

Lucky for her, Louis too plans to study at Romania. In the same university as hers. She's over the moon.

But she knows she'll miss not just Ed, but also Hugo and Al.

OoOoO

Lily now studies WAMST at an obscure university in Romania. It's not her ideal choice of an educational institution, but she's made her peace with it.

After all, she can't blame anyone apart from herself for her mistakes. But she realises that she doesn't regret anything that she's done.

Isn't she lucky as it is, to have Louis as her roommate, and to have both their parents pay the rent?

She has her priorities fixed. To keep her head low, have fun quietly and get the best grades she can. To keep in touch with the people who matter the most to her.

She also has a routine for her weekends.

Every Saturday afternoon, she and Louis have lunch with Uncle Charlie on his dragon farm. Every Saturday night, Hugo floo-calls them and they all remain as thick as thieves.

But Sundays are meant for her letters to Ed. Floo-calls are way too expensive for all that they have to say. They owl each other every week and Sundays are when Lily writes her long-long replies to his long-long letters.

They talk of changing the world and following their dreams. They talk of travelling the world.

Lily doesn't know if she's still crushing on him. But she knows the relationship she has with him is special.

She learns to treasure it, instead of questioning it.

OoOoO

Lily works hard and has tons of ideas about how she can bring about a total revolution in the Wizarding world. She jots them down faithfully in a tiny azure blue pocket diary.

Soon, it's the winter break. One semester down, seven to go. She can't wait to get started on her ideas.

Her parents have decided that the entire family celebrate Christmas in Venice, Italy. Ed has also been invited to join them.

Lily is so excited that she'll get to spend time with him for twenty-five whole days. Even if it means sharing him with her two brothers.

OoOoO

Venice is such a beautiful place and the vacation is full of beautiful moments, even though it's so fucking cold. Her mother has obviously taken way too many bludgers to her head. With high waters and flooding, the experience is unique and ultimately, that's the only thing that matters.

It's the place where everything changes while nothing really changes.

With James at the bar, flirting with some Italian barmaid, Al catching up on his sleep and her parents spending the entire day at the spa, Lily finds herself sightseeing the place with Edward.

Lily experiences her first kiss in Venice and it's something she'll never forget.

/

_The gondolier mistakes her and Ed to be a couple when they're on a gondola ride, and tells them how kissing while passing under the Bridge of Sighs at sunset will seal their love for each other forever. He then turns away, as if it to give them privacy._

_Edward leans forward gently with a slight smile on his face, and she feels a slight pressure on her arm as he shifts. He whispers in a low voice, "Think of it as Italian mistletoe."_

_And as the shadow of the overhead bridge falls upon them, his lips gently meet hers. She's not exactly surprised, but she does give an involuntary gasp._

_He uses that as an excuse to deepen the kiss, and she finds herself kissing him back, first hesitantly, and then, not-so-hesitantly._

_But the moment is gone as soon as they pass out from under the bridge, into the setting sun's light._

_He pulls back and winks at her and says, "Merry Christmas in advance, Lily."_

_Lily merely nods at him._

/

OoOoO

The rest of the trip is awkward, to say the least. She blushes every time she sees him, and he grins back at her with his stupid secretive smile. They have this unvoiced agreement of sorts, to not talk about it.

She unconsciously starts holding his hand when no one's around, followed by jumping away from him when she realises what she's doing, which amuses him to no end. Lily develops this new habit of resting her head on his shoulder whenever they sink into a comfortable silence.

And surprisingly, it's her oblivious older brother, James, who asks if Lily and Teddy have a secret.

Lily likes the fact that she and Edward have a secret, just between the two of them.

OoOoO

_/_

_On the last night in Venice, she and Ed sneak out onto the roof of the hotel, to watch the stars together._

_That's when he tells her about how he's written his Potions Masters Exam and about how he plans to quit his job as an Auror the minute he gets his results and how he's anxious about them._

_Lily takes his hands in hers and rubs her thumb in circles to calm him down. She promises to help him out with all her ideas she's got from studying WAMST._

_In the distance, a church bell rings twice, making her realise that two hours of the new year have already gone by._

_She leans into him a little more as she looks up at the sky. "This is perfect, isn't it?", she asks._

_When he doesn't say anything, she turns to look at him. He smiles at her and as he squeezes her hand, he says "Yes, this is."_

_As she burrows her head into his shoulder, Lily can't think of a better way to have started the new year._

/

OoOoO

Lying in her bedroom in Romania, Lily still can't think of a better way to have started the new year. She hasn't felt this content in a long time.

When Ed floocalls one lazy Sunday afternoon, announcing how he's been accepted into the Potions Master Academy, Lily can't help but feel happy for him. Somehow, along the way, his dreams have become her dreams and hence she feels doubly happy about it.

Lily's heart soars when he tells her that she's the first one he wanted to tell. Lily wonders if a person's heart can break from too much happiness.

OoOoO

Life has never seemed more perfect. Everything seems to be falling into place and the mist around her eyes slowly seems to be disappearing. All the puzzle pieces seem to be lining up, and Lily can't wait to see what picture they will form.

OoOoO

* * *

AN: I did promise that this would be a two chapter story. But I felt that one more chapter would be needed to complete the story.

The next chapter is named _'Finding Happily-Ever-After'_ and I'll mostly be done within a fortnight. It's a narration of how Lily and Ted get together. I really hope you'll come back to read it.

Thank you for putting up with me. Please do review / follow / favourite to let me know how I'm doing.


End file.
